Social Networks and Sexual Orientation Disparities in Tobacco and Alcohol Use

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the composition of social networks contributes to sexual orientation disparities in substance use and misuse. Method: Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative cohort study of adolescents (N = 20,745). Wave 1 collected extensive information about the social networks of participants through peer nomination inventories. Results: Same-and both-sex-attracted youths had higher frequency/quantity of tobacco use in their peer networks than did opposite-sex-attracted youths, and both-sex-attracted youths had higher frequency/quantity of alcohol use and misuse in their peer networks than opposite-sex-attracted youths. Among same-and both-sex-attracted youths, greater frequency/quantity of tobacco use in one's social network predicted greater use of cigarettes. In addition, greater frequency/quantity of peers' drinking and drinking to intoxication predicted more alcohol use and alcohol misuse in the both-sex-attracted group. These social network factors mediated sexual orientation-related disparities in tobacco use for both-and same-sex-attracted youths. Moreover, sexual orientation disparities in alcohol misuse were mediated by social network characteristics for the same-sex and both-sex-attracted youths. Importantly, sexual minority adolescents were no more likely to have other sexual minorities in their social networks than were sexual majority youths, ruling out an alternative explanation for our results. Conclusions: These fi ndings highlight the importance of social networks as correlates of substance use behaviors among sexual minority youths and as potential pathways explaining sexual orientation disparities in substance use outcomes. (J.

Functional and structural social support, substance use and sexual orientation from a nationally representative sample of US adults

“…The NESARC‐III study was completed in 2013, prior to the 2015 Supreme Court decision to legalize same‐sex marriage, and many states did not have marriage equality laws at the time of the survey. Although we did not find consistent patterns of associations between structural support and TUD and DUD among SM populations, previous research has found greater frequency of TUD and DUD among SM populations is attributed, in part, to higher prevalence of substance use and substance use acceptability in SM social networks, as well as increased perceived tolerant norms and availability of drugs .…”

“…Social support acts as a buffer to stress and is associated with lower victimization and higher resilience against SM‐related discrimination . However, while the relationship between social support and substance use has been extensively assessed among young SM , there has been less research on the impact of social support, and specifically structural and functional support, on SUD among SM adults . Understanding external influences, including social relationships, on substance use among adults is critical to developing effective strategies for reducing SUD.…”

Substance use capital: Social resources enhancing youth substance use

“…Supportive communities of drug users (i.e. bonding social networks), such as acquaintances with deviant peers (15,(25)(26)(27)(28) or growing up in a drugfriendly environment may enhance youth substance use (16). These factors are also social resources, which can contribute to behaviours that do not enhance health and positive outcomes.…”

“…Peer pressure plays a major role in the development and continuation of substance use during adolescence and early adulthood (41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49), and peer substance use is described as a necessary condition and a key explanatory variable for adolescent substance misuse (28,50,51). Overall, peer network has also been described as a factor of increased substance use behaviours (26).…”

“…Moreover, peer-related factors were more often associated with a higher risk of substance use and misuse than familial factors (28). These results may be due to the drug-friendly environment existing among peers, with peers being a factor of increased substance use behaviours (26) and also to the fact that parents are less important than peers in young adulthood (63,72). However, substance-related familial factors were nevertheless important and were still expressed by significant substance use, as mentioned in previous studies (73-75), especially parental values.…”